Fairy, don't be afraid, I, Wang Daqi, am truly an honest man.

Wang Daqi's hand holding the teacup trembled suddenly, a thought stirring within him.

What's going on??

Could it be that Xu Taibing had previously boasted about Xia Chunlian to Xu Sheng?

Judging from Xu Sheng's lewd expression and shifty eyes, the two of them had clearly discussed such sordid dealings in private.

Wang Daqi was immediately embarrassed, but he tried to remain calm and replied telepathically, "Brother Sheng, be careful what you say. My senior sister is sitting right next to me. Her cultivation is profound. If she notices anything... we'll talk about it privately later."

"Hehe, why are you so timid than before?"

Xu Sheng nonchalantly sipped his tea and continued telepathically, "We brothers are communicating in secret, what are you afraid of??? In my opinion, dealing with a woman like this requires more than just showing concern and care; you need to be more proactive, understand? Take the initiative!!!"

Before Wang Daqi could figure out how to respond, Xu Sheng's next words almost made him spit out the tea in his mouth.

"How about this, I'll host a family banquet tonight to welcome you back. We'll slip some drugs into the drinks or something, and we'll get her without anyone knowing! Once it's too late, she can't possibly run away, can she?"

"Brother Sheng... this, this might not be a good idea?" Wang Daqi felt a chill run down his spine. The Xu family was indeed a bunch of bad people from top to bottom.

"What's wrong with it? It's not like we brothers haven't done this before."

Xu Sheng chuckled, his tone brimming with an air of self-righteous arrogance. "Speaking of which, those miraculous medicines for one-night stands were actually obtained from the sect and introduced to me by you back then. What, you went back to the sect and now you're acting like a virtuous gentleman?"

What?!

Wang Daqi was furious upon hearing this.

Could it be that Xu Taibing is such a despicable person in private?

Not only did they scheme against their own brothers, but they even provided them with banned drugs to help them commit evil deeds.

He originally just wanted to take advantage of the situation and make some spirit stones, but now it seems that the Xu family is simply a den of wolves that harbors filth.

However, given his current status, if he reacted too strongly, it would inevitably arouse Xu Sheng's suspicion.

Wang Daqi could only suppress his disgust and feign concern as he replied, "Brother Sheng, things are different now. My senior sister is, after all, a Foundation Establishment stage female cultivator, and she is extremely skilled in formations, with a spiritual perception beyond that of ordinary people. If she discovers us on the spot, it will be very troublesome."

"Haha, don't worry, with me here, what could possibly go wrong?"

A glint of greed and ruthlessness flashed in Xu Sheng's eyes. With a wave of his hand, he made the decision, "Alright, it's settled then! I'll definitely arrange a satisfactory outcome for the family dinner tonight."

Seeing Xu Sheng's determined look, Wang Daqi smiled awkwardly on the surface.

He glanced subconsciously at Xia Chunlian, who sat upright and aloof beside him, and thought to himself: Senior sister, being too flashy isn't a good thing. If I weren't here to protect you, you might really have fallen into this wolf's den tonight.

Xu Sheng didn't continue with that sordid topic for the rest of the time.

Instead, he adopted the demeanor of the eldest brother in the family and casually chatted with Wang Daqi about some family anecdotes.

Occasionally, he would strike up a conversation with Xia Chunlian in a charming manner.

However, Xia Chunlian merely nodded politely, her words concise and to the point, giving off an aloof and unapproachable air. This only fueled the rage in Xu Sheng's eyes.

A moment later, the communication jade slip at Xu Sheng's waist glowed slightly. He scanned it with his divine sense, then stood up and laughed, "Hmm, your eldest sister has arrived at Spirit Lake. Let's go over there. It'll be a good opportunity for your brother to see if this little maid you brought can snatch the reward there."

"Okay, Brother Sheng, please." Wang Daqi stood up and gestured for him to proceed.

The three followed Xu Sheng through several quiet corridors before taking off.

A moment later, the view in front of me suddenly opened up.

In the distance, a vast expanse of misty water appeared, revealing a huge lake.

This is the Xu family's sacred lake, which covers several thousand acres and is shrouded in mist all year round.

There was even a faint spiritual mist rising from the center of the lake, indicating that there was a remarkable spirit-gathering formation buried at the bottom of the lake.

Occasionally, golden or silver spirit fish leap out of the water, stirring up ripples full of spiritual energy.

At this time, the shore of Linghu Lake was already packed with people, and almost all of the Xu family's descendants who were at home had gathered here.

"Look, it's the young lady!!!!" someone in the crowd exclaimed in a low voice.

On the viewing platform by the lake, a red figure stood out.

Xu Ying, the eldest daughter of the Xu family, stood with her hand on her sword.

She wore a neat high ponytail, and her brows exuded a heroic spirit. Her cultivation level had even reached the late stage of Foundation Establishment, making her a step above Xu Sheng.

"Young Miss." Wang Daqi stepped forward and greeted her in the same tone as Xu Taibing.

"Yes, Taibing."

Xu Ying turned her head, looked him up and down, and a playful smile appeared on her lips. "I heard you came back yesterday. Why didn't you come to my place first, but went straight to Xu Sheng's? Are you afraid I'll discipline you???"

Wang Daqi remained unfazed and chuckled, saying, "How could that be? I was just about to go and pay my respects to you, Miss, but I heard you had already arrived at Linghu, so I came straight here. It's just a matter of who comes first."

"You know how to talk," Xu Ying chuckled.

Xu Sheng quickly interjected, "Sister, it's rare for Brother Taibing to come back. I've prepared a banquet at home tonight to welcome him back. You must do me the honor of coming along."

"Okay, I happen to have a jar of aged wine that's been stored for a hundred years. I'll bring it over tonight." Xu Ying nodded slightly, appearing quite generous.

As they spoke, many young disciples in the Qi Refining stage of the family came over to greet Wang Daqi.

Through the exchange, Wang Daqi learned that this bird-hunting competition was quite large, with nearly a hundred elite disciples participating.

These disciples are generally quite strong, with the lowest level being the seventh level of Qi Refining.

Among them were several experts at the ninth level of Qi Refining, eagerly eyeing the reward of twenty spirit stones and a spirit fish.

"Go ahead, just do your best," Wang Daqi patted Xu Yan's hand and encouraged her in a low voice.

Xu Yan took a deep breath to calm her nerves, then walked to the registration desk and received a bronze-colored assessment badge.

At this moment, several elders of the Xu family flew together towards the center of the lake.

He took out several jade bottles from his storage bag and evenly sprinkled some medicinal powder that shimmered with a dark red light onto the surface of the lake.

As soon as the medicinal powder was added to water, it boiled like oil in a pot, and an extremely strong, pungent fishy smell instantly permeated the surrounding area for miles.

This is a powder used to attract birds; we'll be using this for the upcoming match.

"Look, they're here!!!" someone in the crowd shouted excitedly.

No sooner had he finished speaking than a series of rapid whooshing sounds came from the distant clouds.

A huge flock of snow-white skylarks, with only a touch of gold at the tips of their wings, swept across the sky.

This bird feeds on spirit fish, is extremely fast, and has keen senses, making it very difficult for ordinary cultivators to lock onto it with their spells.

The rules of the competition are simple and straightforward: any means are allowed, and the winner is the one who catches the most birds in their hands.

"rise!!!"

At Xu Ying's command, more than a hundred Qi Refining stage cultivators took to the air in unison.

In an instant, the lake surface shimmered with ethereal light, and all sorts of magical artifacts and spells intertwined, creating a magnificent spectacle.

The cultivators dispersed, each occupying a section of airspace, watching intently as the birds fell like shooting stars.

Wang Daqi stood calmly on the shore, his gaze fixed on Xu Yan.

Beside him, Xia Chunlian also showed a rare hint of attention.

She discovered that compared to the flashy and impractical spells of other cultivators, Xu Yan's performance was extremely cold and efficient.

Xu Yan hovered steadily in mid-air, her slender fingers rapidly forming hand seals.

Whenever a lark enters her attack range, she shoots out a barely perceptible water arrow from her fingertips!

That was the supernatural power Wang Daqi taught her, the Mysterious Water Arrow.

"puff!"

A soft sound.

A lark, known for its speed, didn't even have time to let out a mournful cry before it was precisely pierced between the eyebrows and spun into Xu Yan's arms.

Then came the second one, the third one...

Xu Yan's movements were fluid and effortless, without any unnecessary exertion.

While other cultivators were creating a flurry of fire and spiritual energy as they tried to capture a bird, the area where Xu Yan was located was eerily quiet, with only the constantly falling birds proving her terrifying efficiency.

"Huh??"

Xu Ying, standing on the viewing platform, let out a soft exclamation and her gaze fell on Xu Yan. She said to Wang Daqi with some surprise, "Taibing, your little maid is quite something. Her water control technique is incredibly refined, and her accuracy is frighteningly precise. It seems you've put a lot of effort into her."

Xu Sheng narrowed his eyes, stroked his chin, and chuckled, "It's more than just not simple. This technique... tsk tsk, it seems that Brother Tai not only taught her 'kung fu,' but also quite a few killing techniques. However, this movement technique looks a bit unfamiliar."

Wang Daqi's heart skipped a beat, but he merely bowed humbly and said, "Brother and sister, you flatter me. This girl is just a hunter by trade, naturally sensitive to these birds and beasts, but she's not up to the task."

"Hey, Taibing, when did you become so humble?"

Xu Ying asked in surprise.

"modesty?"

Wang Daqi's heart skipped a beat. He didn't know what Xu Taibing's attitude towards them was.

Just as he was wondering what to say, Xu Sheng spoke up, "Big sister, is Brother Taibing trying to show off in front of Fellow Daoist Xia Chunlian?"

Wang Daqi quickly interjected, "Brother Sheng understands me best!"